ACH Warriors take youth, strength to Tacoma

COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors have 10 boys and three girls who earned a position at the Mat Classic this weekend. The roster includes three seniors, one junior, four sophomores and two freshmen on the boys’ side. The girls' side includes a junior, a sophomore and eighth grader Karis Butler.  

“She’s had a phenomenal year for an eighth grader, and it’s going to be exciting to see how the tournament goes for her. It’d be pretty incredible to get an eighth grader on the medal stand at Mat Classic,” coach Brandon Walsh said.  

Walsh said the elimination of regional wrestling may have contributed to the Warriors’ ability to get some younger athletes to the tournament, but he sees it as an opportunity for them to learn.  

“It’s still cool to get some young kids there, and it’ll be a great experience for them,” he said. “And whether they medal this year or not, they’ll have a taste for it, and as they continue to get better, hopefully, that’ll pay off for them down the road.”  

Sophomore Noah Butler was a state finalist last year as a freshman, and now he’s headed back to the dome as a sophomore, Walsh said.  

Porter Wood, another sophomore, has had a strong showing this year, after sitting out last year, Walsh said. Walsh said Wood is a talented wrestler who’s had a “fantastic” season.  

“I think he could make some noise this weekend and get on the medal stand, too,” he said. 

Senior Jack Molitor, who wrestles in the 120-pound class, wrestled at the Mat Classic as a junior last year and pulled in fifth place. Walsh said he thinks Molitor has a solid chance of getting back on the medal stand in 2025 and has booked in more than 20 wins this year so far.  

Senior Paul Stout hasn’t qualified for Mat Classic before but has done so for the first time as a senior.  

“We’re excited for him to get there as a senior; we’ll see what we can make out of that for him,” the coach said.  

The final senior on the team is Kayle Casimir in the 285-pound heat. While he’s a senior, this is his first year wrestling and Walsh said he’s shown notable talent and potential.  

“I think he’s got a shot at 285 to get on the medal stand, so that’s pretty cool for a first-year kid,” Walsh said.  

Butler making a Mat Classic showing as an eighth-grade athlete – and taking the number two seed position – is a wonderful opportunity and a good sign for the future of Warrior wrestling, the coach said. She’ll be joined by junior Dayanna Mendoza and sophomore Jayden Hubbard on the mats at the Tacoma Dome.  

Walsh said that both the boys' and girls' teams have been focused on mental prep for the tournament. He’s been focused on ensuring his athletes have the confidence and winning mindset to walk into the Tacoma Dome, wrestle hard and hopefully come back with some hardware for their efforts.  

“We’ve spent quite a bit of time kind of on the mental side of things,” Walsh said. “Of just trying to have conversations about believing how good you are and visualizing your success, and those kinds of things.”  

Walsh said he’s proud of his wrestlers and is hopeful for their prospects on the West Side.  

“It’s been kind of a fun last couple of weeks, trying to get them prepared for it, and you know, with the hope that we could get there,” he said. “And now that we’re there, I hope we can have some success.”  

Warriors Roster 

Boys 

senior Jack Molitor (120)  

senior Paul Stout (190)  

senior Kayle Casimir (285)  

junior Wyatt Stout (144)  

sophomore Edward Jennings (113) 

sophomore Levi Oliver (113) 

sophomore Porter Wood (138)  

sophomore Noah Butler (215)  

freshman Christian Berezay (120) 

freshman Aaden Baergen (138) 

Alternates: eighth grader Jacob Hubbard (157), freshman Peyton Horton (190) 

Girls 

junior Dayanna Mendoza (145)  

sophomore Jayden Hubbard (170)  

eighth grader Karis Butler (140) - No. 2 seed 

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline sophomore Jayden Hubbard, top, is one of three Warrior girls wrestlers that qualified for the 1A/2B/1B Girls Mat Classic in Tacoma.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline senior Kayle Casimir, top, took third in the 285-pound class at the 2B/1B District 6 tournament in Rockford to advance to the state tournament.
  

    Almira/Coulee-Hartline eighth-grader Karis Butler, top, won the 135-pound weight class at the 1A/2B/1B Girls District 6 tournament in Spokane, qualifying for the Mat Classic in the process.